Too heavy to service.

[Stevemo]

Yep, the local Canadian Tire would not put tires on my 2004 Roadtrek Popular 190 because it is too heavy. I got this over the phone and couldn't believe it so I drove down to the garage and they confirmed it! They only service 2500s and lower at this particular location so keep this in mind when choosing where you get towed.
I was just tire shopping so I bought my tires and left because I have two garages that will mount and install them.

[Deano]

Interesting, before I got a 12000 lb rated drive on lift, I used a 2 ton rated floor jack to change the wheels/tires on my R/T 210.

[Want a B]

I asked my car Mechanic if he would service by Class B+. He said he didn't have the lift capacity to do it but recommended another mechanic that could. I called his recommendation and they said they could. I plan a driving to their location to make an appointment and to confirm our phone call.

[mkguitar]

a call for service needs to include "my thing is this tall and this heavy"





Mike

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by mkguitar

a call for service needs to include "my thing is this tall and this heavy"

Mike

And the same can be said for calls for towing service. I've read several stories of class b owners (mostly Mercedes) where they were sent the wrong tow truck. Even when a drive-on tow truck was dispatched, it was too short to accommodate the length of the rv.

If you ever need to call for towing service, make sure they know length, height, and weight. They may still send the wrong tow truck (it's happened), but at least you have a shot at getting the right one dispatched.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

And the same can be said for calls for towing service. I've read several stories of class b owners (mostly Mercedes) where they were sent the wrong tow truck. Even when a drive-on tow truck was dispatched, it was too short to accommodate the length of the rv.

If you ever need to call for towing service, make sure they know length, height, and weight. They may still send the wrong tow truck (it's happened), but at least you have a shot at getting the right one dispatched.

Yes.
Which is why I am a believer in using an RV-centered roadside assistance provider. It isn't the tow trucks that differentiate such providers (they all draw from the same pool), it is the logistics desks that locate and select the trucks they send. If RVs are just a sideline (read AAA, your insurance company, Allstate Roadside Assistance, the OEM that made your chassis...) they are far less likely to get it right the first time.

I have tried them all over the years, but have settled with CoachNet for this reason. In fact, now that I think of it, they may be the ONLY US provider for which RVs aren't a sideline. Does anyone know of another? You might think of Good Sam, but they are actually just resellers of Allstate.

Am I missing anybody?

[RV-there-yet]

Pleasure Way Excel RD (2000 - Dodge chassis). Got my tires at Costco and they installed them no problem. They also did the free rotation last month. They don't use their lift when they work on my rig. They use floor jacks. If they want to serve you they will find a way. If they don't want to serve you, you don't want them working on your stuff.

[BillsPaseo]

Originally Posted by RV-there-yet

Pleasure Way Excel RD (2000 - Dodge chassis). Got my tires at Costco and they installed them no problem. They also did the free rotation last month. They don't use their lift when they work on my rig. They use floor jacks. If they want to serve you they will find a way. If they don't want to serve you, you don't want them working on your stuff.

Discount Tire did the same for my van, used floor jacks rather than a lift. They had no problem working on it.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by BillsPaseo

Discount Tire did the same for my van, used floor jacks rather than a lift. They had no problem working on it.

Same for my Chevy Express 3500.

[Diver007]

Originally Posted by BillsPaseo

Discount Tire did the same for my van, used floor jacks rather than a lift. They had no problem working on it.

My local Chevy dealership has a special lift for 3500. Their price for tires and balance were $20 cheaper than the discount places.

[Davydd]

I’ve had service done at a half dozen Mercedes Benz dealers that sold Sprinters. I had no problem with service at them with our Class Bs. However, if a Mercedes Benz dealer didn’t sell Sprinters they probably didn’t service them because of lifts, door opening heights and diagnostic equipment I think I read once it was a million dollar investment to do so.

[Belzar]

Since the SC Sprinter factory opened a few years ago, MB dealers have been expanding their service capabilities with new facilities, heavy duty lifts, training etc. My local local dealer has a dedicated Sprinter service manager and technicians. Usually there are at least a dozen or more Sprinter vans in the shop from commercial accounts. I paid about $150 more for 6 Michelins vs. cheapest alternative, but they do great work, offer free checkups, a loaner car and tasty lattes.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Belzar

Since the SC Sprinter factory opened a few years ago, MB dealers have been expanding their service capabilities with new facilities, heavy duty lifts, training etc.

Are you saying that the total number of sprinter-capable dealers is increasing? If so, that is interesting news. Do you have a source?

There were 200 such dealers in the US in 2012:
https://media.mbusa.com/releases/spr...shedDescending

but I have been unable to locate the current number.

Note that MB has stopped production of Freightliner-branded Sprinters:

https://www.motor1.com/news/440367/m...inter-dead-us/

My assumption is that over time, Freightliner service centers will lose interest in servicing Sprinters.

[Belzar]

I don't have any data on number of dealers, but there are many more Sprinters on the road than before they were built in the new US plant (ex. Amazon fleet) and service is expanding to meet the demand. Commercial
Sprinter accounts have become a nice steady business for US MB dealers.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Belzar

I don't have any data on number of dealers, but there are many more Sprinters on the road than before they were built in the new US plant (ex. Amazon fleet) and service is expanding to meet the demand. Commercial
Sprinter accounts have become a nice steady business for US MB dealers.

I am not at all trying to be argumentative, but I am very interested in this topic, since the nightmare of finding Sprinter service in out-of-the-way places is one of the things that is driving me away from the marque. It would be very helpful if you could share your sources for this information.

Sprinter sales bounce all over the place, but if there is a consistent trend upwards, it is not obvious and cannot be very large:

https://carsalesbase.com/us-mercedes-benz-sprinter/

[Davydd]

In Minnesota when I first got a Freightliner branded Sprinter my nearest Mercedes Benz dealer didn’t service them. Dodge and Freightliner did but only if the Dodge dealer sold them. Now my nearest Mercedes Benz dealer does and another new MB dealer from the start in Rochester, MN did. More MB dealers will take up servicing Sprinters now that they are made in the USA and not multi-branded because more and more will start selling them. MB dealers are not a lot of course. Still the best van in quality, fit and finish from what I can see and better looking if that matters to you. Better looking because they aren’t boxy with the side walls. That’s good and bad in designing and working around those walls but I think I’ve solved it.

[avanti]

If anecdotes are worth anything:

One of the two MB dealers in my area used to sell and service Sprinters. Several years ago they stopped doing so. Now, the closest one is more than an hour away.

I agree that Sprinters are the best-looking of the bunch. Fit and finish is much less obvious. I can see no significant difference in this regard between the Sprinter and the Transit. And, I know for sure that my future EcoBoost Transit is likely to be far more reliable than my beggarly BlueTec Sprinter (although that comparison is admittedly not completely fair). The Sprinter used to be superior but the competition has pretty much caught up, as far as I can see.

[Davydd]

I doubt I have a dog in this fight anymore. I took possession last month of my last RV I suspect if I hold onto it for four plus years as all my others. There are very few places we haven’t been in North America, so maybe in the future we may resume international travel.

[Belzar]

Us Sprinter sales have grown from low of 8559 in 2010 to 37513 in 2020. Much of this growth asssociated with opening of US plant and growth of delivery fleets. Some, but I guess not all, MB dealers have been expanding their service capabilities for these fleets.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Belzar

Us Sprinter sales have grown from low of 8559 in 2010 to 37513 in 2020. Much of this growth asssociated with opening of US plant and growth of delivery fleets. Some, but I guess not all, MB dealers have been expanding their service capabilities for these fleets.

Respectfully, you continue to ignore my requests for sources.

It is true that van sales have spiked across the industry, obviously driven by Covid-related effects (although your your "37513" number for MY2020 which I assume you got from the infamous "GOODCARBADCAR" is higher than other sources.) As I said, the numbers are all over the place.

Pre-Covid actual MBUSA numbers show van sales (which unfortunately include the Metris) nearly flat year-over-year:

https://media.mbusa.com/releases/mer...19-sales-chart

In any event, if there are data demonstrating that the opening of the US plant has affected sales or that the increase of new Sprinter bays has exceeded the increase of vehicles on the road (which is what would be needed to improve availability), I have not seen them.